BUMS Synonyms: 150 Similar and Opposite Words

bums 1 of 3

noun (1)

plural of bum

as in cheeks

the part of the body upon which someone sits I decided to get off my bum and get some exercise

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bums

2 of 3

noun (2)

plural of bum

as in beggars

an idle worthless person if you expect an allowance, you have to do some chores and stop being such a bum

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in hoboes

a homeless wanderer who may beg or steal for a living I feel sorry for bums and occasionally give them money

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bums

3 of 3

verb

present tense third-person singular of bum

as in lounges

to spend time doing nothing spent most of the summer just bumming around the house

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of bums

Noun

Within the often zany and slapstick realm of Bob’s Burgers, Tina still manages to steal the show with her singular voice, romantic fantasies, and obsessions with unicorns and boy bums. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2026 Kennedy’s Albany is a vital, violent place, a hothouse of gangsters, pool hustlers, bums, crooked politicians, and showgirls. — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026 For families Apart from the family-sized villa estates and kid-friendly menus, Nihi has a host of activities that will please even the youngest beach bums. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Aug. 2026 The Coliseum stayed in business for 500 years, bums in seats twice a week, watching people hack each other to death. — David Frum, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026 History buffs, avid hikers, music lovers, wine aficionados, and beach bums will all find a town to love in the Old Dominion. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 9 May 2026 For ski bums looking to hit the Colorado slopes without slogging through I-70 traffic, there’s no better destination than Winter Park. — Sarah Cahalan, Travel + Leisure, 7 Mar. 2026 Expensive trip to modern backcountry huts Backcountry skiing is no longer just for ski bums. — Sacbee.com, 28 Feb. 2026 And, then, of course, the park was full of bums like us. — Literary Hub, 27 Feb. 2026

Verb

The joy Lisa has with her RHUGT cast compared with the dread her RHOSLC cast seems to bring her really bums me out — especially because of how much of this trip is championing the sisterhood of Housewives. — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026 Critical thinking really bums them out. — Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 13 Mar. 2026 The cranky and irritating backseat driver, who bums a lift midway through the Griswolds' adventure, also has with her the easily excitable pooch Dinky. — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Sep. 2025 The only thing that bums me and Michael out is all the stuff that got cut for time. — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bums

Noun

After Swift appeared with Fazit’s Gold Speckles makeup patches decorating her cheeks, the brand reported a 3,500 percent increase in direct-to-consumer sales.

— Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 21 Sep. 2026
Pictures of Isaiah Harrison from 2024 show a bubbly, heavyset boy with a toothy smile and full cheeks.

— Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of cheeks

Noun

The former, in which Burnett and Hamilton did a song-and-dance routine as Dust Bowl-era hobos, marked the first of several times that the two performed together.

— Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
From oversized, slouchy hobos to structured East-West silhouettes and laptop-ready work totes, this season’s best suede bags deliver a luxurious polish that will elevate every fall wardrobe.

— Lauren Alexis Fisher, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2025

Definition of hoboes

Verb

With her severe bob and icy demeanor, Miranda chills her underlings to the bone.

— Jami Ganz, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Sep. 2026
The use of rap lyrics as evidence in criminal trials is controversial, with critics saying the practice chills creative expression and allows prosecutors to distort hyperbolic art in ways that reinforce racist stereotypes.

— Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of chills

Noun

More women have seats at the tables that Violet, Doralee and Judy could only deliver coffee (or blackmail) to.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026
This year, 51 percent of ballet-ticket buyers were under the age of 50 with 20-somethings in the majority of those seats.

— Fiorella Valdesolo, Curbed, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of seats

Noun

One of the tramps jumping off a freight car was the juvenile player, Frankie Darrow.

— Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2026
In a California town called Anzar in the late-19th century, Paulette is living with a local magnate’s eccentric son who’s fascinated by the tramps gathering outside his manor.

— Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026